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Corona Devo 3190

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In our living room, we have a gray, super-soft, large blanket that technically belongs to our middle child (and he doesn't forget that intended-priority ownership), but that blanket is everyone’s favorite. Our daughter grabs it on TV nights, and our son wraps-up in it for morning cocoa and wake-up video-shorts.   My mother-in-law has been known to use it to cover up during movie-nights at our house, and my husband likes it because it covers his long legs.    After a long Saturday of group-work on a school project,  I have even seen a guest at our home pull it out (from behind the couch where it is stored), wrap up in it, and take a nap! Currently we have family visiting from out of state, and can you guess the preferred blanket for my nephew’s inflatable bed when he lays down his 10-year old body?   Yep--it's the (so) soft gray one! It is a wonderful, often-washed, soft, comforting, big blanket, and many people have been known to enjoy the comfort of it...
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Corona Devo 3189

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We work so hard.  Daily.  Monthly.  Yearly.  ...A lifetime  of hard work is behind most of our names, and the efforts are tattooed in our DNA.  We work  so  hard.  And we should.  The Bible (God) tells us that " Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters,  ( 24)  since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving ( Colossians 3:23-24) ".   We put in the work, and we should. But (sit down and grab a tall glass of iced tea or lemonade), and let the Bible (God's Word!) remind us of what God  also says: Good job .     “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.  ( 20)  The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’...
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Corona Devo 3188

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Don't mind the mess today...and-- what's at the heart of it? The other day, it was just after 7 A.M., and I popped my head out our backdoor, which leads into our garage, and said good-bye to one of my people leaving for the day.  Two had already left for school, another was getting ready, and my husband was leaving to begin his morning walk.  I waved to encourage him, and as he disappeared from the driveway I lingered for a moment in the quiet, just staring. When I refocused my eyes and myself, I saw an inflatable cactus resting in the mess of our garage, and it made me realize: there will be messiness in the ministry of life, and that's just fine. ~~~ What is our ministry today?  Where, how, and to whom are we living-out faith?  Who are we sharing God's Word and Law with?   The inflatable cactus propped up in the (organized) chaos of our garage seemed to smile back at me and say, "It's okay when things aren't perfect."   And Friends, it is ...
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Corona Devo 3187

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Since we are gathered here: you and me , I wanted to give you a 'Pop It.'  Have you seen these?  They are rubbery things (toys?), and they have bubbles on them that can be pushed in...and pushed out.  Go ahead, push all of the bubbles in one row in. And then you can push the same bubbles from the opposite side, and they pop back out.   Try it--'Pop Its' are fun to pop.  Relaxing even.   Some people have found that 'Pop Its' are useful when we are worried, anxious, overwhelmed, or stressed, but I like to press on them any old time, and not just when I'm stressed.   How about you?... Here: I am giving you one.  Push a rubber bubble or two.   See?   It is (somehow) satisfying, isn't it? Now--w hat are some of our worries? Come on...don't be shy.   Go ahead...let's share.  You shout out some "worries" and I will jot them down for us.  Who wants to start?   Ahhh, there we go: You in the b...
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Corona Devo 3186

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Do we feel unsatisfied today?  Unfulfilled?   Perhaps we are not fully focusing on the Lord and His agenda, and we have gotten off-(His)-course, and we've been too much on ours.   Except--there's no full -fillment in our efforts-for-self, just full-attempts without full-fruition.   Perhaps the Lord is telling (disciplining) us through his Word today to    " switch the field ". In soccer, when a player "switches the field", it means that they make a long pass or place a big-kicked-ball across the field and thus, they move the action/play/center/pressure from one place (side) of the field into an entirely (and opposite) new one, often where far fewer players are.  They "switch the field", and hopefully find the feet of one of their teammates for a breakaway to the goal! The Lord speaks to the prophet Haggai, and God basically tells Haggai to tell the people of Israel ( God's  people), and their leaders that they have gotten off track ...
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Corona Devo 3185

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“There are those who curse their fathers  and do not bless their mothers;  (12)  those who are pure in their own eyes  and yet are not cleansed of their filth;  (13)  those whose eyes are ever so haughty,  whose glances are so disdainful;  (14)  those whose teeth are swords  and whose jaws are set with knives t o devour the poor from the earth  and the needy from among mankind.   ~Proverbs 30:11-14 ~~ There are those ... Lord, I thought of many people when I read these verses.   "Those."   There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers... (Proverbs 30:11). Some people curse their dads, and do not thank or bless their moms.  They are ungrateful.  Entitled.  Expectant.  Lazy and spoiled.  Some young, and some old enough to know much better...we can think of some of those. ~~~ (12) those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed ...
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